There really is a Santa Claus, actually 100 of them, in Pat and Bill Maronick's home.

The Maronicks' captivating collection started to take shape back in the 1950s when Bill had a military assignment in Erlangen, Germany, and the couple would make frequent sojourns to holiday markets.

"The beginning of my collections came from East Germany in 1955," Pat said. "Bill and I went to the eastern section of Berlin over Thanksgiving for only about an hour. We knew we were watched and followed and spent a brief amount of time in a small gift shop in a dirt floor train station lit by a single bulb. They upped the prices as Americans weren't liked, but we couldn't resist these handmade characters."

The well-preserved figures and two small toy depot buildings they bought that day launched a lifelong passion for collecting Christmas memories.

While in Germany, Pat shopped the Kris Kringle shows near Nuremburg at a time when everything was handmade.

When the Maronicks moved back to Great Falls, Pat continued to frequent Christmas craft shows and call on artists who made holiday items. And, she never missed a business trip with Bill every December to shop in places like New York, Boston, Houston or San Francisco.

"I bought many Santas and somehow managed to get them home on the airplane," Pat recalled.

Exquisite Christopher Radko creations adorn many branches of their Christmas tree while Annalee signature snowmen and Mr. and Mrs. Claus purchased long ago from Spencer's gift shop rest on a holiday-themed table. Just opposite from them is a quintet of Charles Dickens characters and carolers made in Colorado Springs in the 1980s.

A 10-foot shelf next to the family room fireplace displays a multitude of Santas. They reach from floor to ceiling and are mostly from Germany. Tucked in among these Kris Kringles is a handmade character created by the daughter of a friend, along with Christmas characters local retired dentist Harry Roch carved out of thread spools.

Nearby, a Santa in real sheep skin appears to be ready to glide off in his snow shoes. Alongside freshly poured coffee on the kitchen island, Santas stay warm in their hand-knitted sweaters and hats.

In the atrium, natural light accents poinsettias in hand-painted Santa boxes. Long and tall, short and small, St. Nick and his sidekicks make themselves at home in the wicker-filled room.

A group of Santas all decked out in white garments sit atop a dining table runner. A few steps away, Christmas characters dance around a small tree created by friend, Peggy Matteucci. A four-foot Santa from Bigfork carries toys and a green velvet sign that greets visitors with a "Home for the Holidays" message.

Accenting the many decorated rooms are seven framed cross-stitch Santa pictures Pat created through the years.

This all seems a little surreal to Pat who grew up in a Billings home with few decorations. The family had only a tree.

"We were lucky to have that," she said.

Pat and Bill get the Santas out right after Thanksgiving and put them away about 10 days after New Year's, wrapping them in tissue and carefully placing them in 20 storage bins.

"As we get older it is tougher and tougher, but we still enjoy the sight of having them out," Pat said. "They bring back memories."